Many travelers have sigh of relief by learning the return to work of Air Canada on -board agents, but the activities of the carrier will not resume in a snap. What to expect?
Can I come to the airport, if my flight with Air Canada had to take off in the coming days?
For the moment, Air Canada is asking its customers not to go to the airport unless you have a confirmed reservation and that it is indicated that their flight will take off. This information is available on the site and the Air Canada application, as well as on the local passenger airport site.
When will Air Canada activities return to normal?
The Canadian Council for Industrial Relations (CCI) will determine a schedule for the resumption of Air Canada flights in the next 24 to 48 hours, according to the Minister of Employment, Patty Hajdu. She believes that the activities of the carrier could resume in 5 to 10 days.
Can I postpone my flight?
Yes. It is possible to postpone your flight to a date between August 21 and September 12, at no cost. Air Canada offers this option to all those who have reserved a planned flight between August 15 and 18.
If it is impossible to postpone your flight, you can always buy a plane ticket from another airline, but expect to pay your ticket at a high price. The majority of flight prices have increased by at least 50 %, according to Moscow Côté, president of the association of travel agents in Quebec.
However, this option is more risky: to protect themselves, the airlines have interrupted the sale of reimbursable and partially refundable tickets.
When to claim a refund?
You have to wait for your flight to be canceled to claim a refund. And it may be at the last minute.
To avoid this kind of problem in the future, Moscow Côté strongly encourages people to buy their plane ticket directly from a travel agent. “It’s not more expensive, it’s the same price. We have real -time access to the whole inventory of airlines. We are able to protect customers as soon as their flight is canceled, ”he says.
By doing business with a travel agency, consumers are also covered by the customer compensation fund for travel agents, who can reimburse expenses, such as transport and accommodation, caused by air carriers problems.
With Léa Carrier, The press
Consult the Frequently Questions on the Air Canada website concerning the disruption of flights